1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk apparatus and, more particularly, to a disk apparatus such as a CD-ROM drive apparatus which is incorporated into a notebook type personal computer and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compact disk (12-cm dia. or 8-cm dia), which is reproduced or read by means of a laser type pick-up, has become used as a recording medium recording information such as, for example, database or software. A component type disk apparatus (CD-ROM drive apparatus) has been developed so that the CD-ROM drive apparatus can be incorporated into a miniaturized notebook type personal computer.
In a conventional disk apparatus, a tray on which a disk is placed is driven by a motor. A disk is placed on a turntable in the tray when the tray is moved out of a chassis, and then the tray is moved into the chassis of frame of the computer by a driving force of a motor.
In the method in which the tray is driven by a motor as mentioned above, the motor for driving the tray and a transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the tray are needed. Thus, it was difficult to reduce the size and thickness of the disk apparatus, and it was not possible to incorporate the disk apparatus inside a chassis of a notebook type personal computer.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a disk apparatus having no motor and transmission mechanism has been developed in which the tray is moved between a disk loading position inside the chassis and a disk replacing position outside the chassis.
An example of a disk drive of this type is shown in FIG. 1A. In the figure, a disk 100 is placed on a turntable 101 provided in the disk apparatus. The turn table 101 is directly mounted on a rotational shaft of a disk motor 102 so that the disk 100 on the turn table 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed by a driving force generated by the disk motor 102. Additionally, a cover 103 is provided on an upper portion of a chassis so that no dust enters into the disk apparatus.
The disk apparatus incorporated into the notebook type personal computer tends to receive stronger shocks than a disk apparatus incorporated into a desk-top type personal computer. When no shock is applied to the disk apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1A, the disk 100 is maintained to be flat with no warp. However, if a shock is applied in up and down directions (an axial direction of the disk motor 102), the disk 100 may warp as shown in FIG. 1B, resulting in a wide area of the disk 100 contacting the cover 103.
Generally, a surface of the disk 100, which faces the cover 103, is printed with information with regard to contents recorded on the disk 100. Thus, if the disk 100 makes contact with the cover 103 due to a shock while the disk 100 is being rotated, the printed material may be scratched off from the contacting portion, and thus there may be a problem in that the disk 100 cannot be identified by the print material.
Additionally, the disk 100 has a construction in which opposite sides of a reflection surface reflecting a laser beam are protected by plastic layers. Since the plastic layer on an upper side of the disk 100 has only a thickness of 30 xcexcm, the plastic layer may be shaved if the disk 100 slides on the cover 103. This may result in a problem that the data recorded on the disk 100 is destroyed.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful disk apparatus in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a disk apparatus which can prevent a disk from being deteriorated when the disk is warped due to a shock applied to the disk apparatus.
There is provided according to the present invention a disk apparatus for driving a disk-like recording medium, comprising:
a space in which the recording medium is rotatably supported when the recording medium is loaded in the disk apparatus; and
a contacting member provided in the space so as to be opposite to an outermost annular area of a surface of the recording medium, the outermost annular area having a predetermined width and adjacent to a rim of said recording medium, the contact member being positioned adjacent to the outermost annular area so that the contacting member is adapted to contact only the outermost annular area when the recording medium is warped, the surface being perpendicular to a rotational axis of the recording medium.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the predetermined width of the annular outermost area is less than a width of a non-recordable area of the surface of the recording medium which non-recordable area is adjacent to the rim of the recording medium and is not used for recording, the predetermined width of the outermost annular area and the width of the non-recordable area are measured in a radial direction of the recording medium.
The space may be defined between a tray on which the recording medium is placed and a cover covering the tray, and the contacting member is provided on the cover. The contacting member mat be a part of the cover and the contacting member protrudes toward the tray. Additionally, the cover may be made of a metal plate such as a steel plate. The contacting member may be a bead formed in the cover.
According to the present invention, the contacting member, which may be a bead protruding toward the recording medium in the tray, contacts the recording medium when the recording medium warps due to a shock applied to the disk apparatus. Since the contacting member contacts the outermost annular area of the recording medium, no print is scratched off from the printed surface (front surface) of the recording medium even if the recording medium is warped during operations and contacts the contacting member.
Additionally, since the contacting member contacts the outermost annular area of the recording medium, in which outermost annular area no data is recorded, no influence is provided to the data recorded on the recording medium. This results in a positive reproduction of the data recorded on the recording medium.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the contacting member may be a part of the tray so that the contacting member faces the recording medium when the recording medium is loaded in the disk apparatus.
Additionally, the contacting member may include a first part formed on the cover and a second part formed on the tray so that the first part and the second part face the recording medium.
Further, the contacting member may be integrally formed with a member defining the space. Additionally, the predetermined width of the outermost annular area is less than a width of a non-recordable area of the surface of the recording medium which non-recordable area is adjacent to the rim of the recording medium and is not used for recording, the predetermined width of the outermost annular area and the width of the non-recordable area measured in a radial direction of the recording medium.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.